First Independent Mena Newspaper
Members of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) are meeting in Marrakesh to discuss the industry issues, challenges and the future of travel & tourism. This year’s ABTA oversea travel convention, taking place from 10 to 12 October in Morocco’s red city, marks a return to in-person meetings after two-years of restrictions due to […]
The controversial Beijing-funded African Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia that is due to open in the next few months is just one example of China’s increasing investment in health care on the African continent since the pandemic as it builds what analysts and Beijing call a ‘Health Silk Road’. According to […]
The weak growth trajectory of Africa’s three largest economies, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa, which together account for about 60% of Africa’s GDP, could exacerbate social unrest in the region, a report by UNCTAD, the United Nations trade body, has warned. Growth prospects in South Africa and across the continent have deteriorated, which threatens to […]
Gilbert Houngbo, former Premier of Togo, has officially taken helm of the International Labor Organization (ILO) as Director-General of the UN branch and has made Social justice and equality at the heart of his mandate. Elected in March this year, the 61-year old man took office on September 30 as he replaced Guy Ryder who […]
Morocco has lifted the health restrictions, namely the PCR test or vaccine pass, to enter the kingdom. The National Airports Office (ONDA) announced that PCR and vaccine pass are no longer mandatory to enter Morocco’s territory. Passengers will only need to duly complete a health form to hand over to authorities upon arrival in Morocco, […]
The Moroccan Government decided Thursday at the cabinet’s weekly meeting to extend the state of health emergency until October 31, 2022, to continue to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of measures taken by public authorities to stem the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Government Council examined and adopted a draft decree, presented by the […]
East African economies will decline this year driven due to political instability, unreliable rainfall and reducing agricultural yields, says the latest Macroeconomic Outlook Report for East Africa published by Deloitte, the world’s largest consulting firm. The report that covered Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda shows that the region’s gross domestic product (GDP) has been […]
Skeptics say that despite China’s agreement to forgive interest-free loans to 17 African countries as it seeks to dispel debt-trap allegations, the days of Beijing writing off interest-bearing loans are over. The world’s poorest countries — many of them in Africa — are facing $35bn in debt-service payments in 2022, out of which around 40% […]
At the United Nations General Assembly, leaders from Qatar, Senegal and Turkey called for immediate peace talks between Moscow and Kiev to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as Germany and France denounced Putin’s imperialism in its smaller neighbor. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has taken centre stage at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday (20 September), […]
The next 12-18 months will be “very difficult” for African banks as widespread inflation, currency devaluations and interest-rate hikes sweep the region, a senior director of credit ratings agency Fitch said on Wednesday (21 September). African economies have struggled over the last year in the face of external forces including lingering effects from the COVID-19 […]